Tubing spider



July 1". 1924.

c. H. BENCKENSTEIN TUBING SPIDER Filed Ma -rch 18, 1922 I lllllll II M ' awumtoz, C hourdes If. @mzwmw Patented July 1, I924:e

UNITED STATES CHARLES H. BENCKENSTEIN, 0F VINTON, LOUISIANA.

a j TUBING SPIDER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. BENGK- ENsTEiN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vinton, in the parish of Oalcasieu and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tubing Spiders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to tubing spiders, and one of the particular applications of the invention is in connection with the lowering of pipe, tubing or easing into a well, and the removal of the same from a well; though it will be obvious from the description hereinafter that the invention is equally well adapted to the raising and lowering of any similar structure.

Heretofore much time and labor have been required for the operation of lowering and raising pipe, tubing, casing, etc., in a well, and one of the objects of my inven tion is to greatly reduce the time and labor heretofore involved in this operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which will permit tighter joints to be made be tween the pipe connections than has been possible with previously known apparatus.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision of a tubing spider so constructed on the interior as to prevent any catching or hanging up of the pipe collars while passing through the apparatus.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which is formed of two parts, whereby it may be quickly and easily mounted or dismounted.

Another advantage of my invention resides in the provision of a mechanism for positively controlling the movements of the rocking arm and sliding jaw in proper sequence.

A further advantage of my invention, and one which is a very material feature thereof, resides in the provision of a special operating mechanism including a locking feature, whereby the rocking arm and slid ing jaw are positively locked in the cylindrical passage and can be removed therefrom only by the proper operation of the operating mechanism.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

Serial No. 544,903.

The common practice has formerly been to raise and lower pipe in a well by means of elevators. One elevator would be attached around the pipe below the collar thereof, and the pipe would then be pulled out to the desired height by a derrick. After pulling one or more sections from the hole, a second elevator would be attached around the bottom collar of the pipe, and the pipe then let down onto this second elevator. The pipe would then be disjointed and removed, and the operation would be repeated. In lowering pipe into the well the operation was much the reverse to that of taking it out. v

In some instances, instead of using an elevator to hold the pipe left standing in the well, corrugated wedges were placed between the pipe and the casing.

My invention takes the place of the holding elevator, or the holding wedges, and by the substitution of my inventionfnot only is much time and labor saved, but; also. the operation is performed in a much more satisfactory manner. I

The present invention constitutes an 'improvement on tubing spiders invented by me and forming the subject-matter of application No. 454,445, filed March 22, 1921, and application No. 510,011, filed October 24,1921. 1 4

One of the important improvements in-' corporated in the present invention consists in providing a special operating mechanism whereby the rocking arm and sliding jaw are automatically and positively locked in the cylindrical passage, and cannot be accidentally displaced therefrom.

I will now proceed to describe one particular form of my invention, it being'understood that those skilled in the art may make many changes and modifications therein without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims; and the drawings forming a part of this application are, therefore, to be considered merely as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete mechanism, parts thereof being in section, and parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the complete mechanism, a section of tubing being shown as gripped by the apparatus, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the sliding jaw and inclined face of the rocking member.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the apparatus is preferably formed of two sections indicated by numerals 1 and 2, and these sections are shown as hingedly connected by means of links 3.

A semi-cylindrical passage is formed in each of the sections, so that when the apparatus is closed there is a cylindrical passage 4extending vertically therethrough. The passage is flared at its top and bottom, as indicated by numerals and 6.

A plate 7 having gripping teeth 8 there on is mounted in one of the wall sections, the curvature of the gripping teeth being substantially the same as the curvature of the pipe to be handled. it will be obvious that, instead of mounting the toothed plate in one of the sections, I may prefer to form the teeth in the walls of both sections. so that when the sections are closed a grippi? surface similar to the ne just described rm ll be resented.

ppositely arranged with respect to the above described'gripping teeth is a rocking arm 9, pivotally mounted in the body of the spider, as will be described herewith. The rocking arm 9 has an inclined face 10 on which is slidablv mounted a gripping jaw 11. The particular manner in which the jaw is slidably mounted on. the inclined face constitutes no part of the present invention; but in the particular construction illustrated the rear of the jaw is provided with portions 12 overlapping flanges 13 on. the rocl ing arm; and also with a center tongue 14 engaging a groove 15 in the inclined face of the rocking member. A pin 16 (Fig. 3) is employed to engage the center tongue and thus limit the upward or outward movement ofthe sliding aw; the downward or inward movement f the same being limited by the engagement of the jaw with the flange 17 of the rocking member.

The face of the sliding jaw is concave, and is provided with gripping teeth or ridges18, the curvature thereof being substant ally the same as the curvature of the pipe or tubing to :be handled. As shown in theudrawings, the teeth in the body of the apparatus and also those on the face of the aw are arranged to act upwardly.

The rocking member 9 is provided. with journal bearings 19 and 20, the journal 19 being secured to the section 2 by means of a collar 21, so that the rocking member will remain in position when the sections 1 and 2 areseparated. The section 1 is, of course,

recessedafor the purpose of receiving the journal bearing 20 when the sections are closed: 1

A stirrup 22 is slidably positioned in the rocking member just behind the slidingjaw,

the stirrup being provided with an inwardly projecting portion 23 for engaging the sliding jaw. A bell-crank lever 24 is shown as having a bearing in section 2, and the other section is cut away, as indicated by numeral so that the operating mechanism does not prevent the closing of the sections.

. A link 26 connects the stirrup with one arm of the bell-crank lever.

The operation of the mechanism thus far described is as follows:

As the stirrup is raised it lifts the slidjaw until the jaw has traveled the full extent of its upward movement. after which the continued movement of the bell-cram; lever causes the rocking arm to be thrown backward. In throwing the rockingarm and sliding jaw into operative position, the action is just the reverse, the rocking arm being first thrown. to the left, and thereafter a continued movement of the bell-crank lever permits the sliding jaw to slide down-- wardly into engagement with the pipe. The parts are thus caused to move in proper se inience. and this is of great importance be cause by such an arrangement the sliding-1; jaw is positively maintained in its elevated position until after the rocking arm is in its operative position.

if desired. s 'irings could be employed for normally holding the sliding jaw in its elented position. Finch springs are illustrated in my application Serial No. 454,445 pre viously referred to.

For the purpose of securely locking the two sections in closed position, I provide a bolt 27 which is preferably pivotally mounted in one of the sections and engaging n groove in the other section. A. nut 28 screw threaded on the bolt 27 engages the wall of section 1 and draws the two sections firmly together.

Numeral. 29 indicates a section of pipe or tubing gripped by the apparatus.

1 will now describe the locking feature of the mechanism, which feature is tne material improvement of the present invention over the prior construction illustrated and described in my previous applications Serial No. 454,445 and Serial lo.'5l0,011.

The purpose of the locking feature: is to prevent the rocking arm and the sliding jaw carried thereby from being accidentally thrown from tlieiroperative position in the cylindrical passage. For example, suppose a section of pipe is being lowered into the cylindrical passage, the collar of the pipe being held some distance above the device by elevators, and one of the crew carelessly disjoinsthe elevators and allows the pipe to fall into or through the device. If the teeth or ridges 18 on the sliding jaw are somewhat dull, the pipe may slip through the cylindrical passage, and the collar attached to the pipe section dropping Jun ill)

lli

heavily on the sliding jaw may thereby cause it torebound with the rocking arm and come out of the cylindrical passage, thus permitting the pipe. to fall into the well. It is thus obvious that it is highly desirable to provide some simple and auto matic means whereby the rocking arm 18 positively locked in the cylindrical passage against accidental displacement.

The means which I have invented'for producing this highly desirable result consists of providing a notch 30 in the journal 19 of the rocking member 9, and in the collar 21, and in so arranging the operating levers that the end of the lower arm of bell-crank lever 24: will be received in the notch 30 when the rocking arm is moved to its operative position in the cylindrical passage.

It will be apparent. from an inspection of the drawings that any shocks transmitted to the device cannot accidentally displace-the rocking arm, because as soon as the rocking arm starts to move the: wall of the notch 30 will engage the end of the bell-crank and the motion will, be stopped.

Any suitable means may be employed to operate the bell-crank lever, to throw the sliding jaw and rocking armv out of the cylindrical passage. In the specific embodiment illustrated I employ a depending link 31 pivotally attached at its: upper end to the lower arm of the bell-crank lever, and at itslower end it is pivotally attached to thelever 32 mounted in the bracket 33.

The lever may be operated byhand or foot. A spring 34, normally holds the variousp-arts in the positions indicated on the drawings.

In using my invention, the operation of removing pipe from a well is as follows:

Assuming the spider to be mounted in position and the rocking arm and sliding jaw thrown out of the cylindrical passage, then the pipe is freely withdrawn through the cylindrical passage until one or more sections of the pipe are clear; any desired means, such as a derrick and elevator being employed to hoist the pipe. After the pipe has been elevated to the height desired, the rocking arm is thrown down into opera tive position. When this is done, the concave toothed surface of the sliding jaw engages and forces the pipe over into engagement with the toothed surface 8 provided in the wall of the passage. The downward pulling force exerted by the pipe causes the jaw 11. to slide down the inclined face of the rocking arm, with a. resulting wedging action, which causes both sets of teeth to bite into the pipe and hold it securely without any liability of dropping.

The pipe sections are now disjointed and moved to one side.

The' elevator or any other hoisting means is now connected to the top section is practically the reverse of the operation of removing the same, and a description thereof is thought to be unnecessary.

. So far asthe present invention is con-. earned, the body of the spider may be made inone piece or two pieces; but for reasons given in myapplication Serial No. 510,011 it is highly desirable that the body of the spider be made in two pieces whereby it can be clamped into place quickly and easily. I

Itis to be noted that by having the .passage l flared at both bottom and top it is impossible for the couplings to becaught, and when the gripping mechanism is thrown back the passage is entirely clear,

so that the pipe and couplings may pass therethrough clearly, and without any liability of the pipe being hung up either in lowering or raising it.

It isalso to be particularly noted that by the use. of the novel locking feature describedherein there is no danger of pipe being dropped into the well because of the rocking arm being accidentally displaced as the result of shocks or otherwise. I

In accordance with the patent statutes, I haverdescribed what I now believe to be the best embodimentof my invention, but I do not wish to be understood thereby as limiting myself or the scope of my invention. as; many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and; all such]: aim to includein the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spider including a body member provided with a passage extending therethrough, an arm journaled in the body to swing in a vertical plane and adapted to. projectv into the passage, and means cooperating with the journal for positively locking said arm against accidental displacement from said passage. i

2. A piping spider composed of two sections, means for securing the two sections together, the two sections being so arranged as to form a substantially cylindrical passage therethrough when the two sections are together, a rocking arm journaled in one of the sections and adapted to project into said passage, and means cooperating with the journal for positively locking said arm against accidental displacement from said passage.

3. A tubing spiderincluding a body member provided with a passage extending therethrough, an arm journaled in the body through, an arm pivotally mounted in the body member and adapted to project into said passage, the pivotally mounted arm being provided with a notch, and means engaging said notch and preventing accidental v movement of said arm.

5. A; piping spider including a body member provided with a passage therethrough, an armpivotally mounted in the body member and adapted to project into said passage, abell c ranlr lever for normally operating the rocking arm, the pivotally mounted arm being provided with a notch, and one arm of said bell-crank lever adapted to engage said notch when the pivot-ally mounted arm is in operative position in the passage.

6. A tubing spider having a passage eitendingtherethrough, a rocking arm adaptedto be projected into the passage, a gripping jaw slidably mounted on the rocking arm, operating means associated with the sliding jaw to cause said jaw and rocking arm to move in proper sequence,the rocking arm being provided with a notch, and said operating meansengaging said notch when the rocking arm is in operative position, whereby accidental I displacement of the rocking arm is prevented.

7. A spider having a passage there through, a rocking arm adapted to be projected into said passage, a gripping jaw slidably mounted on said arm, means for emes limiting the movement of the sliding grippin'gjaw, a stirrup arranged to engage and lift the sliding jaw, a bell-crank lever, a link connecting one arm of the v bell-crank lever with the stirrup, the rocking arm being provided with a notch, and one arm of the bell-crank lever adapted to engage said notch when the rocking arm is in operative position, s s

8. A piping spider composed ottwo sec; ti ons, means for securing the two sections together, the two sections being so arranged as to form a substantially cylindrioalpas'sage therethrough when the two sections are together. a rocking arm havingjournals n ounfted in said sections, a collar securing one of the rocking arm journals to one of the sections, said journal andcollar being provided with a notch, and means adapted to engage said notch and prevent @CQiden'tal displacement of the rocking arm from the cylindrical passage c 9. A; tubin r spiderincludii'ig a body mem her having a passage extending therethrough, a rocking arni adapt d, 1 9.196 pro jected intothe passage, said rocking arm having a journal mounted in the body mei'n} be'r," a gripping aw slidably mounted onthe rocking arm, a stirrup adapted toengage said gripping jaw a bell-crank lever, one arm of the bell-crank lever being operatively connected with the stirrup, the journal of the rocking arm being provided with a notch, the other arm ofsaid bell-crank lever adapted to engage said notch when the rocking arm is in operative posit iom and a link and lever mechanism for operating the bellcrank lever.

oHAeLEs BENCKENSTEIN. 

